Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 769

769. A Self-Inflicted Disaster… (4)

With even the priests dying, no more Aztec warriors dared to step forward.

It wasn’t just the Imperial Army’s weapons that halted the Aztec warriors’ charge; fear played a significant role.

Having fought in numerous wars, large and small, since the Aztec expansion, including the ‘Flower Wars’ [ritualistic battles primarily for capturing prisoners for sacrifice], death was not unfamiliar to the Aztec warriors.

However, fighting against these foreigners, the Aztec warriors experienced a truly ‘dog’s death’ for the first time [a humiliating and meaningless death].

The sight of their fellow warriors dying in vain, without even putting up a proper fight, filled the Aztec warriors with terror.

The gunpowder weapons used by the Joseon army were also a source of fear.

The battlefield, where war and combat took place, was originally a place overflowing with all sorts of noises.

The shouts of soldiers straining their voices to maintain morale, the screams of enemies dying from fatal wounds, and the din created by weapons clashing against each other made the battlefield deafening.

Because of this, the jaguar warriors and eagle warriors [elite Aztec warriors] would often lose their voices after a single battle.

However, the weapons and sorcery used by these foreigners instantly drowned out the noise of the battlefield.

In particular, the flames, smoke, and explosions created by the projectiles they launched with deafening noises were terrifying.

When those projectiles, the size of human heads, created bright flashes, smoke, and explosions, the surrounding warriors fell, covered in blood.

When those projectiles turned into light and smoke, shields were useless. Some warriors covered themselves with shields, but the smoke created by the projectiles penetrated even those shields. Or, at least, it seemed to penetrate.

Moreover, every time the strange tools held by the foreigners sitting in vehicles pulled by large beasts they had never seen before spewed bright flames and faint smoke, the Aztec warriors fell helplessly.

In the end, the Aztec warriors, who had been pressuring the Imperial Army’s main force, had to stop, seeking solace from their gods.

“Oh, Huitzilopochtli!” [The Aztec god of war, sun, and sacrifice]

Calling the name of Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the sun god who had risen to the position of the main god since the religious reform, was the only thing the Aztec warriors could do.

They thought that only he, the god of war and the sun god, would overwhelm these foreigners.

* * *

Meanwhile, as the attacks from the Aztec warriors outside lessened, the Imperial Army’s main force was able to focus on securing the causeway.

“Send two companies (about 50 men) forward to secure the road!”

“Yes!”

On Park Man-ho’s orders, two companies of riflemen ran forward along the causeway.

Just as Admiral Ahn and his party, who had escaped from Tenochtitlan, were retreating along the causeway, Park Man-ho saw Aztec warriors approaching across the lake to capture them and quickly issued a new order.

“Intercept those canoes!”

“Yes!”

“Don’t spare the Bigyeokjincheonleis!” [Korean rocket artillery]

“Yes!”

The Imperial Army soldiers who received the order fired Bigyeokjincheonleis at the Aztec warriors approaching in canoes.

Having faced pirates on the route to and from Suez, and the Ming navy in the previous war with Ming, the Imperial Navy had become masters of the Bigyeokjincheonlei.

Estimating the distance between the Aztec warriors approaching across the lake and their allies, the sailors skillfully adjusted the timers on the Bigyeokjincheonleis and placed them in the launchers.

“Fire!”

Bang! Pow!

The Bigyeokjincheonleis fired by the sailors exploded just above or just below the surface of the lake.

The canoes caught in the water columns created by the explosions of the Bigyeokjincheonleis were lifted into the sky and fell back into the lake, or capsized.

Following this, the Hwachas [Korean fire arrow launchers] mounted on wagons began to concentrate their fire on the canoes.

Ta-ta-ta-ta-tang!

* * *

The Aztec warriors in the canoes, under the concentrated attack of the Bigyeokjincheonleis and Hwachas, showed the same behavior as the Aztec warriors who had attacked the main force.

They either stopped their canoes in place without approaching further or turned around and fled.

Admiral Ahn Sang-soo, who had joined the main force and saw this, shook his head slightly.

“The situation inside and outside the city is very different.”

The natives who fought them in their city had relentlessly attacked as if they had forgotten their fear.

After thinking for a moment, Admiral Ahn seemed to understand the reason.

“Is it because they are the ones protecting their ruler?”

This was slightly lacking, but it was the correct answer.

The Aztec warriors who attacked the Imperial Army in the street battles of Tenochtitlan were mainly from the Quachic [Aztec warrior society], a group of warriors.

Even the warriors who were not Quachic were either jaguar warriors or those about to become jaguar warriors, or at least those who had captured more than two prisoners and were qualified to wear the Quechquemitl [a type of triangular shawl].

That was why they had relentlessly attacked the Imperial Army led by Admiral Ahn.

In addition, the fact that they attacked in the streets of Tenochtitlan was another reason.

Moving along the alleys that branched out in all directions, the warriors’ field of vision was greatly narrowed.

They could not see how the warriors ahead of them had died at the hands of the Imperial Army.

They simply followed the orders of their commanders, found the Imperial Army in the alleys, and attacked.

On the other hand, those who fought in the lake and the open fields across the lake could clearly see with their own eyes how their comrades were dying, and their morale plummeted.

Most importantly, Admiral Ahn’s party did not have Bigyeokjincheonleis, but the main force did.

Those who had fought against the Joseon army and then the Imperial Army feared the Bigyeokjincheonlei the most.

Having seen its outstanding power, many countries, including Portugal and the Ottoman Empire, had created similar weapons, but few had matched the power of the Bigyeokjincheonlei.

This was the difference created by the use of smokeless gunpowder made by Hyang.

* * *

Having joined the main force, Admiral Ahn ordered his subordinate commanders.

“Get out of here as quickly as possible!”

“Yes!”

Following Admiral Ahn’s orders, the officers moved busily. They gathered the Hwachas that had been deployed and reattached them to the wagons, and loaded the wounded onto the wagons.

“What should we do with these natives?”

Park Man-ho asked Admiral Ahn about the disposal of the natives who had escaped with them.

At Park Man-ho’s question, Admiral Ahn looked at the native prisoners.

The native prisoners, holding Macuahuitls [a wooden club with obsidian blades] in their hands, were looking at Admiral Ahn and the Imperial Army with a mixture of relief and anxiety.

They were relieved to have escaped their fate as sacrifices for human sacrifice, and anxious that they would become sacrifices again if the Imperial Army abandoned them.

As if knowing the minds of those native prisoners, Admiral Ahn ordered Park Man-ho.

“First, getting out of here and reaching a safe zone is our top priority. The treatment of them comes next.”

“Yes.”

Park Man-ho, having heard Admiral Ahn’s order, called a subordinate officer and conveyed the admiral’s order.

The order that went down the chain of command finally arrived at Meok-soe.

“Tell those guys to follow us.”

At the order of the squad leader who commanded his squad, Meok-soe asked with a dissatisfied voice.

“Why me, of all people?”

“Do you not know why?”

The squad leader pointed to the native prisoners gathered near Meok-soe and explained the reason.

“Look, they’re following you around like puppy dogs, so you have to take charge of them. Any complaints?”

“…No, sir.”

“Where did you learn that dialect? Anyway, you have to take charge of those guys from now on. Until when? Until further orders. Now, good work.”

As soon as the squad leader, having finished his business, left to check on other soldiers, Meok-soe immediately uttered a curse.

“Damn it!”

As soon as Meok-soe’s curse came out, one of the natives in front of him approached.

“What? Damn it! Follow me! We’re going together!”

At Meok-soe’s gesture, the native prisoners followed Meok-soe with relieved expressions.

* * *

The Imperial Army led by Admiral Ahn retraced their steps and left Tenochtitlan.

From two days after leaving Tenochtitlan, the Aztec warriors’ pursuit continued.

However, after the Aztec warriors who caught up with the Imperial Army were annihilated twice, the Aztec warriors began to use their heads.

They continued their pursuit, keeping just enough distance not to lose sight of the Imperial Army.

“What are they thinking?”

At the question of his subordinate officers, Admiral Ahn looked at the distant mountains and jungles and answered.

“They must be thinking of catching us in those mountains and jungles. They know how much we suffered coming here. And they must be familiar with that place.”

“We must be fully vigilant.”

“What we’ve experienced so far is just a taste of what’s to come.”

“Understood.”

“Ah, and let the natives go.”

“Understood.”

And Admiral Ahn’s order was again conveyed to Meok-soe through the chain of command.

“…Understood.”

Meok-soe, having received the order, walked towards the natives huddled together on one side.

“Hey, damn it!”

At Meok-soe’s shout, one of the natives ran to Meok-soe.

* * *

In the process of escaping Tenochtitlan, Meok-soe and his fellow soldiers learned one thing.

The native who had rushed out first when Meok-soe opened the gate and had saved Meok-soe’s life afterward was misunderstanding one thing.

He knew that ‘Damn it!’ – especially when said with emphasis – was the name he was being called.

“Meok-soe, if that native ever learns the Imperial language, you’ll have to run for your life.”

At the jokes of his fellow soldiers, Meok-soe sighed and cursed.

“Hoo~. Shit…”

“Aren’t you afraid that a friend will come along thinking you’re calling him ‘Shit’?”

“Curse me! Curse me!”

* * *

Whatever the reason, Meok-soe explained the situation to ‘Damn it,’ who had run to him, using gestures.

“We! Are now going back over those mountains! So! You guys go back to your hometowns!”

‘Damn it,’ nodding at Meok-soe’s words mixed with gestures, returned to his fellow natives.

“They seem to be going over those mountains. So, they seem to be telling us to leave.”

“Great Warrior. Are we finally returning to the tribe?”

“That must be it. Tell the others from other tribes too.”

At ‘Damn it’s’ order, the subordinate warriors conveyed the message to the other tribal prisoners who had come with them. It was a bit difficult because the languages used by each tribe were slightly different, but the natives who understood the content soon prepared to move.

Seeing the natives’ movements, ‘Damn it’ ordered his subordinate warrior.

“You go back to the tribe and tell them about the foreigners, and tell them my words. ‘Hide and endure a little longer. An opportunity to avenge the Aztecs will come soon.'”

“Won’t the Great Warrior return?”

At the subordinate warrior’s question, ‘Damn it’ looked at the place where the Imperial Army was gathered and answered.

“I will learn the power to defeat the Aztecs from them.”

“Great Warrior! I will go with you too!”

“You must go and inform the chief.”

At the argument between ‘Damn it’ and the subordinate warrior, other natives came to see what was going on. After learning the situation, the natives from other tribes also talked and soon divided people.

As the situation was settled, ‘Damn it’ approached Meok-soe and said, mixing gestures.

“Damn it! Go together!”